Wrestling for Saucon Valley High School in the mid-90s, Joe Killar competed during one of the grand eras of the sport in the Lehigh Valley.

A period of time when even being a one-loss wrestler -- with the only setback coming in the state finals -- did not guarantee you a spot on the Express-Times All-Area first team.

During the 1994-95 season, Killar (36-1) suffered his lone loss in the PIAA Class AA final by a 1-0 score to Jamestown's Tim Ault.

"It made me realize you have to go after it and whatever happens, happens," Killar recalls. "My junior year I went out there and didn't score a point. I didn't do much. If you want something you have to take it. It's not going to just happen."

Name: Joe KillarLocal connection: Saucon Valley High School (1996)

Notables:

PIAA Class AA wrestling champion at 152 pounds (1996)

Career mark of 135-23 at Saucon Valley

Lehigh Valley football and wrestling scholar-athlete award recipient

National finalist for Wendy's High School Heisman award

Rushed for 3,300 career yards at Saucon Valley and was named second-team All-State

Two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Harvard

District 11 wrestling Hall of Fame

Pennsylvania wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)

Resides: Kutztown, Pa.

As a high school senior, Killar had to navigate what was perceived to be the toughest weight class in the state if he wanted to capitalize on his final shot at a PIAA title.

Every wrestler who made it to the podium in Hershey at 152 pounds in 1996 went on to wrestle at the Division I level in college except for runner-up Rich Rodermal, of Montoursville, who chose baseball and was eventually drafted as a pitcher by the Oakland Athletics.

Left standing when the curtain closed on the 1996 season was Killar, who took Rodermal down in the final 10 seconds for a 7-6 victory.

"It was a pretty loaded weight class," Killar said. "I realized that when I lost my junior year, if we had wrestled that tournament 10 times, I'd probably win it nine. I couldn't say the same thing my senior year. If we wrestled that one 10 times, I might win four or five."

But Killar won the one that mattered and went on to win just about everything else that year as well. He was the District 11 football and wrestling scholar-athlete award recipient and a finalist for the Wendy's National High School Heisman Award.

He also was named to the Express-Times All-Area first team at 152 pounds, after being slotted as a second-teamer behind Nazareth's Travis Doto -- a 1995 Class AAA champion -- the previous year.

Wrestling in the toughest region of the toughest state in the nation in the mid-90s prepared Killar for his next challenge -- wrestling Division I for Harvard.

"It gives you a good sense of confidence where other people might be more intimidated," Killar said. "You're not as intimidated because you know you have wrestled some high level people before you get to college. It helped a lot."

Killar tackled the mats for the Crimson with the same fervor he did as a high school wrestler and ended his career among the top-five all-time in wins and pins at the school.

He finished as a two-time All-American despite fighting through injuries in his final two campaigns.

As a junior, he missed nearly two months of the season after ripping cartilage off his bottom two ribs in a midseason match at Stanford and then tore his ACL and MCL in the last hard practice prior to the NCAA tournament as a senior.

He didn't have the knee looked at until after nationals and still went on to finish eighth after placing sixth as a junior.

"I think both years, had I not gotten hurt, I would have finished better," Killar said. "But that is college wrestling, you know. There's not much of an excuse. A lot of people get hurt. Some get hurt and win the tournament and some get hurt and don't do a thing. So it is what it is."

A biology major, Killar has split his years after graduation in careers in the pharmaceutical industry and property development. He is currently a project manager with Eastern Exterior Wall Systems working on large-scale construction projects.

After some time spent in Cambridge, Killar and his wife, the former Jana Clark (a Parkland High School graduate), made the decision to return to the region to be closer to family. The couple have a two-year-old son, Weston.

"It is a great place to live, especially in your twenties," said Killar of living in the expensive metro Boston area. "But to raise a family in a place like Cambridge -- if you buy a home it is like $900,000 or a million -- it is a stretch to afford it."

These days, Killar makes an occasional stop at a Saucon Valley practice and also helps out once a week with former Panthers wrestlers Dave Stauffer and Ben Chunko training aspiring grapplers at the Peak Performance club.

He is also looking forward to the time down the road when he might get a chance to coach Weston and his peers.

"One of my favorite things to do is coaching kids -- not that I get to do it all of the time, but when I do get the opportunity I really enjoy it," Killar said. "I think he'll be involved. We will see if he wants to be. If not, so be it. He has a lot of energy though."